WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan certainly belongs on professional wrestling's Mount Rushmore, but is he the greatest wrestler to ever grace the ring?
Unlike other professional sports, there are no clear rules as to who the real GOAT of wrestling is. You can easily make a case for 10 to 20 different superstars, and Hogan most certainly belongs in the discussion.
Analyzing Hogan's career, you can easily argue that he's the true GOAT of the sport. But at the same time, there are plenty of arguments that work against Hogan being No. 1.
Here are five reasons why Hogan is wrestling's GOAT, and five why he isn't.
11 10. GOAT: Popularity & Following
Sure, there were some stages in his career where Hogan's popularity cooled down a bit. But ever since he stepped in the WWE ring, Hulkamania has continued to run wild, and his legendary status hasn't vanished one bit.
Hogan has always been the center of massively loud crowd pops (think of WrestleMania X8 in Toronto, when he was portraying a heel). Any time Hogan appears, the fans throw the roof off the building.
It's been nearly 40 years since Hulkamania began, and it's still as popular as ever. That's the sign of a true GOAT, folks.
10 9. Not The GOAT: Didn't Reinvent Himself Enough
While many wrestling icons like Triple H, Chris Jericho, and The Undertaker have succeeded in reinventing themselves on a plethora of occasions, the same cannot be said about Hogan.
The Hulkster was rarely asked to change up his character. There was the beloved "Hulkamania" babyface stage, and then the run where he emerged as the villainous leader of the New World Order.
His Mr. America gimmick was, simply put, cheesy and completely forgettable. Add it all up, and that's only three different gimmicks across Hogan's career. Does that really place him in the GOAT conversation?
9 8. GOAT: Championship Success
For sports like the NFL and NBA, championship rings are a popular argument in determining the GOAT. Sure, professional wrestling is different because it's scripted, but title reigns must still be taken into account.
Hogan was a six-time WCW Champion, and a six-time World Heavyweight Champion in WWE. He also won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on one occasion, plus the WWE Tag Team Championships once with Edge.
And oh, Hogan was also a back-to-back Royal Rumble winner in 1990 and '91. Few wrestling legends can match all of Hogan's championships and other accomplishments.
8 7. Not The GOAT: Backstage Drama
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LeBron James and Tom Brady are renowned for their leadership skills, and it's why they're widely ranked as the GOATS in their respective sports. Certainly, the GOAT of wrestling should lead by example, right?
This is a category where Hogan falls way short. He had well-documented backstage drama with other legends like 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, Bret Hart, The Ultimate Warrior, and even former writer Vince Russo.
Hogan's ego often got in the way, especially in WWE and WCW. To put this into perspective, The Undertaker tried to put an end to any WWE drama by leading "Wrestlers Court." That, folks, is true leadership.
6 6. GOAT: Shined As The Heel And The Face
Though most WWE legends are able to equally succeed in pulling off the babyface and heel characters, few of them did it like Hogan.
For almost a decade and a half, he was the lovable American hero that every kid who watched wrestling idolized. Hogan was almost like a real-life superhero that could never do anything wrong.
And yet, Hogan also pulled off the merciless, arrogant, cruel and ego-filled heel that we saw when he led the nWo. His heel turn in WCW was so impactful that it put the company on the map, and it got to the point where Vince McMahon and WWE were almost put out of business.
5 5. Not The GOAT: Lack Of Longevity
Hogan began his wrestling career in the late '70s, and his most recent match took place for TNA back in 2012. That's about 35 years of professional wrestling, right? Shouldn't that qualify as "longevity?"
Well, not exactly.
Hogan was barely active in 2000 and 2001, before returning to WWE -- where he wrestled frequently until 2002. From 2004 to 2008, he only took part in seven matches, and Hogan only did the odd fight while he was with TNA from 2009 to 2013.
Ric Flair spent four decades in the business, and Undertaker has been going strong in WWE for 30 years and counting. That is the true definition of "longevity," something Hogan didn't have.
4 4. GOAT: The Face Of Two Companies
One case LeBron James has over Michael Jordan when it comes to debating the GOAT of basketball? Well, The King led two different teams to a championship, whereas MJ won all six of his with the Chicago Bulls.
Hulk Hogan is in a similar boat. He can brag about being the primary, undisputed No. 1 face of two separate companies: Both WWE and WCW.
Hogan was instrumental in helping WWE earn a worldwide following during its booming period in the '80s. He's also the reason why WCW became relevant in the '90s, helping them emerge as the top wrestling promotion for several years.
It speaks volumes about Hogan and his legendary status, and it strengthens his case as being the best to ever lace them up.
3 3. Not The GOAT: In-Ring Work
With all due respect to Hogan, there isn't much debating this: He was simply more of an "entertainer" than a "wrestler" in the squared circle.
Hogan had a very limited skill set in the ring, and when it came to facing marquee wrestlers, he often had to oversell to make up for it. Just look at highlights of his WrestleMania X8 match with The Rock.
Guys like Rock, Shawn Michaels, and the Macho Man always put on a clinic in the ring. But Hogan's limited set of moves, as well as his slow-paced style, made him a fairly average in-ring wrestler.
2 2. GOAT: The Original True Face Of WWE
At the end of the day, you just need to ask yourself this: Where would professional wrestling be today without Hulk Hogan?
Vince McMahon chose to make Hogan his No. 1 guy in the '80s when he began to turn the WWE into a global phenomenon. And thanks to Hogan, Vince succeeded in the history-changing business decision.
If Vince and Hogan never took WWE to new heights, would we still be following professional wrestling today? Where would other legends be if Hogan hadn't paved the way for them? This man right here is a central reason why we're following WWE today.
1 1. NOT The Goat: Refusing To Put Others Over
We talked about Hogan's backstage issues, but the even worse part was the fact that he often refused to help put others over. What's the word for that again?
For example, Hogan supposedly refused to put Bret Hart over, which meant the former got to defeat Yokozuna in the main event of WrestleMania IX. Hogan also got creative control when he was in WCW, and he used it in order to avoid a loss to Jeff Jarrett at Bash at the Beach 2000. Another legend suggests that Hogan refused to lose to Michaels at SummerSlam 2005, and the latter got so frustrated he oversold Hogan's offensive attacks.
The Undertaker always put guys over. Steve Austin usually did when he was asked to, too. So did The Rock. And Flair. And John Cena has willingly lost to how many superstars that have come out of NXT?
If there's one thing that hurts Hogan's case as the GOAT, it was simply his refusal to help put other talents over. He simply had to have the spotlight to himself, rather than pass the torch to other up-and-coming stars.